Archer City TexasHistory:
The Texas state legislature established Archer County and designated Archer City as the county seat in 1858, but the county organization was delayed because of the threat from the Kiowas and Comanches. The Archer post office was established in 1878 and was renamed Archer City in 1892. C.B. Hutto settled platted the town in 1879 and donated a wooden building for use as the county courthouse, and donated land for the town square, a jail, and protestant churches. In 1880, the town banned the sale of alcohol. In 1884, the town’s main businesses were county administration and cotton shipping. By 1900 the town had a weekly newspaper, several churches, a stone courthouse, a brickyard, a hotel, and a bank. Livestock and cotton were the main industries. In 1912, the area had its first producing oil well 12 miles from town. The Wichita Falls and Southern Railway and the Southwestern Railway were serving Archer City by 1914.
The town incorporated in 1925. By the 1930s, Harvard University archeologists were collecting fossils in the area. Two of the best fossil pits are located near Archer City. A newly discovered fossil was named Archeria in honor of the county. The town’s Royal Theater was featured in native son Larry McMurtry’s 1966 movie “The Last Picture Show.” Ranching and oil are still the town’s major industries. Archer City is located at the intersection of SH 79 (Center Street) and SH 25 (Main Street), 48.6 miles east of Seymour, 37.7 miles southeast of Electra, 38 miles southeast of Iowa Park, 24 miles southeast of Holliday, 25 miles southwest of Wichita Falls, 41 miles southwest of Henrietta, 68 miles northwest of Bowie, 45 miles northwest of Jacksboro, 43 miles north of Graham, 48 miles northeast of Throckmorton, and 18 miles northeast of Olney, Texas.

Texas Plains Trail Region:
The 52-county Texas Plains Trail Region includes the Texas Panhandle and Plains. It stretches from the Texas towns of Big Spring and Colorado City in the southern portion of the region, to Muleshoe and the New Mexico state border in the west, to Quanah and Knox City in the east, and to the top of the Texas Panhandle, from Dalhart in the west to Lipscomb in the east. The Texas Plains Trail Region organization is a nonprofit heritage tourism organization affiliated with the Texas Historical Commission. TPTR acts as an economic development initiative that helps Texas communities to promote their historic and cultural resources and increase tourism to their areas. The organization helps promote travel to heritage destinations and historic sites. A name repeatedly mentioned in the history of West Texas is Cynthia Ann Parker, a young child captured during a raid on Fort Parker. She grew up among the Comanches, married Comanche chief Peta Nocona, and had three children, Pecos, Quanah and Prairie Flower. In 1860, a party of Texas Rangers led by Sul Ross, a future governor of Texas, rescued her and her infant daughter Prairie Flower; Charles Goodnight participated in this raid. Her son Quanah became famous as the last great war chief of the Comanche. One of TPTR’s most visible recent projects is the Quanah Parker Trail. When the project is completed, giant Quanah Parker arrow markers will have been installed in all 52 counties in the Texas Plains Trail Region. Some counties will have more than one installation. The arrows were created and donated by New Home, Texas, artist Charles Smith. As of early 2014, over 70 arrows had been installed in almost 50 counties. Each arrow will have a plaque giving pertinent historical information. (806) 747-1997. P.O. Box 88, Lubbock, Texas 79408. EmailTexas Plains Trail Map

Archer County Courthouse, 1892:
The sandstone courthouse was designed in Romanesque Revival style by A.N. Dawson. The tower was removed in 1928. It is a Texas Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 2020 Archer County census was 9,054. (940) 574-4811. 100 South Center Street (SH79).

Archer County Historical Museum & Archer County Jail, 1910:
The three-story sandstone jail’s first floor was the sheriff’s family’s living quarters. The second and third floors had cells, and the hanging gallows which was never used. The facility was used as a jail until 1974. It now houses the Archer County Historical Museum. The museum features exhibits depicting the history of Archer City and Archer County. Open Sat, 9am-5pm; Sun, 1pm-5pm. (940) 232) 4028. 203 East Plum Street.

Royal Theater:
The Royal Theater was featured in native son Larry McMurtry’s 1966 movie “The Last Picture Show.” Since 2000, it has operated as a performing arts center. The theater produces three or four plays each year, the Late Week Lazy Boy Supper Club, and the Texasville Opry. The live theater season usually offers an all-purpose show, a Christmas production or thriller/mystery in the fall, a February Valentines Dinner Show featuring a romantic comedy or The Picture Show Players Follies, and a variety and comedy revue. The Late Week Lazy Boy Supper Club features singer/songwriters such as Hal Ketchum, Pat Green, Jack Ingram, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Charlie Robison, Cory Morrow, Steven Fromholz, Clay Baker, Terri Hendrix and others. The Supper Club is scheduled as performers become available. The Texas Opry is a traditional country music show in the style of the Grand Old Opry. The show features the most talented area and regional performers and a great house band, the Texas Pride. The theater is available for event rentals. Opry Tickets are available online or by calling (940) 574-2489. The theater is located at 107 East Main Street (SH 25) at Sycamore. Email

Antelope Jamboree,3rd Saturday of Each Month:
All musicians are welcome. This event is held at the Antelope Community Center on Loop 187. A $2 admission fee applies. Proceeds benefit the community center upkeep fund. Antelope is located at the intersection of SH 87 and FM 175, 35 miles northeast of Graham, 23.4 miles southeast of Archer City, 39 miles southwest of Bowie, and 22.3 miles northwest of Jacksboro, Texas. Antelope MapAntelope Texas Area Map

Annual One Arm Dove Hunt in Olney, Texas, 1stWeekend after Labor Day, Sept:
This event is billed as the most unusual event in Texas. It has been held since 1972. Anyone who has one arm may participate in this hunt. Visitors arrive from around the nation and from other countries. Activities include the dove hunt, food, live music, a two day auction, a glove swap, one arm jokes, a one arm golf tournament, cow chip chunk’n, lunch, a ten cents a finger breakfast, dominoes for those not hunting, and a country skeet shoot contest. P.O. Box 582, Olney, Texas. (940) 564-5445. Olney is located on SH 79 at FM 114, 18 miles slightly southwest of Archer City, Texas. EmailWall Street Journal Article

Windthorst General Store, Windthorst, Texas:
The store has retained its original 1950s décor, has a great deli selling great hamburgers, German sausages, and other deli items, and sells peach salsa, and cute tees shirts, such as one saying, “If We Don’t Have It, You Don’t Need It!” The store is located at 14494 West FM 174 at U.S. 281, Windthorst, Texas 76389, 11 miles east of Archer City. The town hosts annual sausage suppers on the first Sunday in December is support of the Windthorst Knights of Columbus, and the first Sunday in March in support of the Windthorst Volunteer Fire Department. St. Mary’s Catholic Church has a grotto and veterans memorial at 100 St. Mary’s Street. Store: (940) 423-6205. Sausage Festivals: 940) 423-6100.